1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exterior emergency escape system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an exterior emergency escape system for use on a multi-storied building.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for emergency escape systems have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,469 to Dorcich teaches an escape elevator which is especially useful with tall buildings. The escape elevator slides up and down the outside of the building along a pair of spaced apart tracks. The tracks serve to hold the elevator close to the building as well as to provide guidance for the up and down motion of the elevator. The elevator car or cage extends to either side of the tracks sufficiently to overlap egresses from the building such as balconies. The power winches which operate the elevator are located adjacent the top of the building. A shielded cable is provided which leads from the winches to a point adjacent the ground floor of the building. A remote control box is attachable at the point adjacent the ground floor of the building. Also attachable at the control box is an external power supply to which power to operate the elevator is supplied. The elevator is thus not dependent upon the internal power supply of the building. The remote control device can be operated from a considerable distance from the building whereby the operator, who in most cases will be a fireman, can best observe the fire in the building and direct rescue and fire-fighting efforts.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,351 to Littlejohn et al. teaches an emergency escape system with escape module suspended from a cable or the like along but unattached to the exterior of a multi-storied building, such cable being powered by any suitable mechanism incorporating hoisting and pumping devices such as the ground unit described in co-inventor Cook's U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,686, or the winding drum and water pump of a fire truck or other emergency vehicle, such cable being passed around a pulley supported on the roof of the building, so as to raise the escape module and lower it with encapsulated escapees to a haven. Such escape module is selectively positioned on the side of the building for ingress of escapees and provides such protective and human engineered features as heat shielding of escapees from fire; knotted ropes and handrails for handholds during and after ingress; fluid spray for suppression of fire; water cooling and heat shielding of the floor; total encapsulation of escapees for psychological and safety reasons during rescue; requiring no on-board operator thus avoiding risks to rescue attendants; being of light weight and transportable to permit use on a plurality of multi-storied buildings.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,839 to Napier teaches an escape system for enabling occupants to escape from the upper levels of buildings that includes a vessel suspended from at least two fire-resistant cables spaced apart upon the surface of the vessel, the vessel itself being of fire-resistant material and being substantially air-tight, a bridge affording access for personnel from an adjacent building to the vessel, and lift means for retracting the cables and thus lifting the vessel.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,491 to Just-Buddy teaches a fire/rescue system that provides a plurality of compartments which are mounted to traverse the vertical side walls of a high-rise building to carry individuals from designated locations, vertically distributed along the side walls of the building, to safety of the base of the building. The compartments are stored prior to use and between uses on the roof of the high-rise building, preferably within a specially-designed garage therefor, thus overcoming the aesthetic deficiencies of external fire escapes. In the event a fire and/or smoke sensing device is activated within the building, one or more of the compartments is ejected from the rooftop storage facility and transverses down the exterior wall(s) of the building. The control system for each compartment is programmed so that the compartment stops briefly at each of certain designated floors too pick up passengers and gradually descends all the way to the ground floor to allow its occupants to exit therefrom. The compartment is then quickly returned to a predesignated point a long the side wall of the building, for example adjacent the if proof, to repeat the descending/passenger pick-up process. The compartments may also be controlled so as to carry one or more firemen from the ground to various floors of the building to facilitate fire-fighting from the exterior.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,855 to Moore teaches an exterior fire fighting and evacuation system for high rise buildings. A pair of parallelly disposed vertical trollies are attached to the side of the building on opposite sides of a plurality of emergency exists. Decorative panels are provided on either side of the trollies that are aesthetically pleasing and reserve to hide high pressure water and/or foam lines. A chain drive system within each of the pair of trollies mounts a support arm assembly on which a fire proof cab is removably mounted. This cab has front and rear doors and a remote control for operating a motor which drives the chains within both of the trollies simultaneously. This motor can also be operated manually if necessary.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for emergency escape systems have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.